I Don't Want Easy, I Want Crazy
by IsabelleReid
Summary: Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid are briefly held captive together and it changes their relationship drastically. NO character death or abuse of ANY kind. Working progress. :)
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I really fancied writing a Hotch/Reid story after reading by Fates Apprentice. This story is completely unplanned and written straight onto the document page. I normally plan and write everything by hand but this idea was asking to be written. I will NOT harm the characters, any of them. I strongly object to character bashing. Especially rape and abuse. Not going to happen. Not sure where this is going but i'd like some direction if you have it. **

**The title is working progress and i happened to be listening to the song at the time of writing this. **

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_CS Lewis said "Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives."_

Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid had been through some pretty traumatic scenarios in the past but this last "scenario" was definitely the worst. The team had been working a case of abductions on young men in the DC area when Hotch and Reid had gone to an abandoned town house, only to discover that Reid was definitely a viable victim for their unsub and the Unit Chief was just an unfortunate bystander.

"FBI." Aaron shouted, his boot pushing against the door with force, watching as it fell from its hinges with a crash. Spencer had his weapon aloft, following his boss loyally as they worked through the dimly lit rooms methodically, calling out as they went along.  
"Cl-" The young Doctor began but was unable to finish the sentence when a strong hand clamped other his mouth and then all he could smell was the sting of something that smelled like... _Oh no. _**Chloroform.** His legs grew weak as he tried to fight the effects, knowing all too well how quickly he would be rendered unconscious and how there was no way he could counter the chemical.

"Reid?! Reid?" The older agent shouted, looking through each room again, checking faster than he had done before. 'Hotch' got more worried as he cleared each room, coming to an unintended stop as he felt his legs being swept out from underneath him. The last thing he saw was his youngest agent laying crumpled in the corner before the chemical claimed him too.

* * *

3 days passed with little contact from their unsub. They were both locked in a small underground cage, surrounded by fortified steel. They were both provided with 2 meals a day, simple ready cooked meals but they would have to do. They were both held captive in the same room and Aaron was just glad that neither of them had been abused or... worse. Spencer, however, wasn't holding up like he had been trained. Hankel had clearly done a lot more damage than they'd first thought. He was sat shaking, clutching his knees as he rocked slightly. He kept his eyes on his superior, trying desperately to believe they were somewhere else. He also hadn't slept. He himself had managed to get a few hours rest, laid against the wall. Reid took another shuddering breath and he couldn't take it anymore. The kid would drive himself crazy. _I have to help him._

Doctor Reid tried to calm himself down. He knew that Hankel was dead and that Hotch wouldn't let anything happen to him. He'd secretly been paying more attention to their Unit Chief. No-one on the team was aware but he'd never really had any kind of romantic involvement so he wasn't really sure how to define his own sexual orientation; not that he needed to. There had been a moment. Hotch's hand had gently brushed his own while passing out a case file and something in him changed. The brief feeling of skin on skin contact with his boss had triggered the release of dopamine in his brain and from that day he struggled to diagnose the reason behind it. Aaron opened his arms to the younger man, watching carefully as the other man laid against his chest hesitantly, taking a deep calming breath. _'There it was again; the dopamine'. _Reid thought to himself while breathing in his boss' scent. Even after 3 days Hotch still smelled like his cologne and something less distinguishable. Something uniquely... Hotch.

Aaron wrapped his arms around the other man, trying not to enjoy the moment. Since Haley had divorced him he'd been more withdrawn than usual but Reid was the only one who had bothered to check up on him regularly. He'd always admired the youngest member of his team. He was the youngest member to join the FBI yet he knew more about the world than any of the people in his department. He'd never been hung up on sexuality but he only cared about the individual he had feelings for. Right now it was hard to deny his feelings for the young man. He'd always felt a little bit vulnerable when he was with Reid, like he saw through his hard-guy exterior and knew the real man behind the career. Aaron ran his fingers through the Reid's hair, separating the tangles that had formed gently, hoping to relax the individual. Eventually he heard the deep breathing of the man he was protecting and he was satisfied that he was finally sleeping.

"FBI, drop the gun or we will shoot." Rossi shouted from down the corridor where they were being held. Hotch thought he could hear him but didn't want to get his hopes up. He knew all too well that after long periods of being held hostage the person in question started to hear things. _No. That was definitely gun shots. _  
"Reid, wake up. The cavalry has arrived." He whispered quietly, trying to wake him without startling the sleeping man. That plan was shattered, however, by the sound of a heavy door being kicked open forcibly. Agent Rossi appeared, looking slightly panic-stricken as he hurried to open their cell. Reid was woken abruptly by the other agent freeing them. He huddled closer to his boss. _It was all over. Atleast physically._

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**Next up: How do the Agents recover, if at all? What do the team say about the newest bond between Agents?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Can someone explain what a "bullpen" is? The word confuses me and i'm not sure i'm using it right. Also, i meant to say in the last chapter i was reading ****Guardian Angel by Fate's Apprentice**** i'm kind of fan-girling over her story and amazing skills.**

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_"Recovery begins from the darkest moment" - John Major._

"Look Reid, it's only been 2 days. You don't have to come back until next week. You know that." Emily Prentiss explained when she headed off the young agent as he made his way from the elevator to the bullpen. She had to admit that if she didn't know, she would have said it was any other day. He looked fine, he looked like... Spencer. He was wearing his brown slacks and matching waistcoat with a crisp purple shirt, collar adjusted to perfection. The only difference today was that he wasn't wearing his tie. Prentiss suspected it was because his hands were still shaking and he couldn't tie one in his current state.

Hotch had obviously come back to work the next day, looking as if nothing had happened and he assumed the role of Unit Chief within minutes of returning. He was, however, surprised to see that Reid was back so soon. After Rossi had freed them Reid had promptly apologized, untangled himself from Aaron's protective grasp and disappeared to his home, insisting that he didn't need any medical help and that he was a Doctor. He'd also ignored their phone calls the day after, vowing that he was fine, via text message. The Unit Chief noticed that the young man was now back too and that his tie was hanging out of the corner of his satchel.

"Reid, a word." He called out, looking through to the bullpen, hoping that he didn't show any non-verbal cues that betrayed his cool exterior. He closed the door behind the younger man and gave the familiar gesture for him to sit down. Hotch decided to pull up a chair next to Reid, then turned it to face him. Talking across his desk always felt more official and he didn't like to talk to his team like that. _That's what they were. **His** team, his family. Somehow though, Reid had always been different. Different in that his feelings had always been stronger and he'd always assumed that the feelings would turn out to be like that of a brother or nephew. _It seemed like his feelings were changing. He leant forward and took the tie from the younger man's bag. His tie was one that was easier on the eyes; a soft purple color with gold woven through it. Approaching Reid slowly he laid the tie around his neck, tying it carefully, making sure he didn't touch the other man's alabaster skin. "You gonna' tell me why you didn't do this yourself this morning?" He asked when he had relaxed back into his chair, noticing that his body language was more natural now, his shoulders slightly hunched over; a sign of defeat.  
"Ran out of time."  
"Reid, we both know that's not entirely true."  
"My hands wouldn't stop shaking. It's just a temporary tremor. Nothing serious. The chances of someone having a tremor under the age of 40 is minimal. Only 4% of adults over the age of 40 have it. I'm fine, Hotch." He finished babbling nonsensically and fiddled with his tie, moving it slightly so it was more familiar to him. Being in close proximity to his boss felt slightly strange to him; but not in a bad way. He'd only shown fondness towards Hotch on a hand full of occasions and one of those was after their hostage situation. It also hadn't felt bad to him then either. It was fascinating.  
"Hotch. We have another case." The men were both pulled from their personal thoughts by the blond agent. JJ looked slightly embarrassed at having to interrupt them. Reid shook his head briefly to shake himself out of his thoughts about his interactions with their Unit Chief. He nodded at the man in question and walked from the room and through to their conference area.

* * *

Penelope Garcia was stood at the front of the room, looking intently at the case she was about to present to the team. From what Hotch could see initially there were 8 victims, all in their 20's but with no kind of social or economic links. Aaron stood at the back of the room and surveyed his team. After the amount of grief and change in the last year he was surprised that they were all doing so well. Apart from Reid. Everyone was worried about their youngest member and he could tell. They were all making sure to talk to Spencer at least once a day and he could swear they had worked out babysitting shifts to check up on him.  
"Hello compadre's." Penelope said, her usual cheery self evident. She always began her cases like this; as if she was trying to make the cases seem less hostile or disturbing. "Unfortunately this latest case is very close to my tech-nerd heart. These 8 victims were killed in what appeared to be a shooting at a popular gaming convention. They were all in the main arena, waiting to see a panel of developers when a white male opened fire on the victims, ignoring everyone else and promptly leaving. Fortunately for us these conventions use state of the art technology as standard and I was able to pull a few images of our UnSub from their CCTV." Garcia switched to a grainy image of a man holding a hand gun of some kind. He was wearing a branded T-Shirt and a lanyard like all of the others who were in attendance that day. "The convention is in Boston and the local PD have requested our assistance immediately. The convention is still going on and is scheduled for the next 3 days. Internet chatter tells me it's going to be a busy one. Kevin had tickets but we didn't go in the end. That's definitely for the best." She rambled, showing close up pictures of the victims and their wounds. Most were in the head or chest; a kill shot. That indicated prior weapons knowledge and/or experience. Reid continued to look through the photographs on his tablet, focusing on the victimology rather than the shots themselves. It was going to be a long, busy, loud weekend. _Great_.

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**Well, you lucky people. I uploaded a new chapter for this and my other Criminal Minds story in one day. Now working on Chapter 3 of this one. Kind of on a roll! :D To all of you who have favourited this story or Pieces In Their Place I am mailing you guys about updates and the like. You're all my best friends though. If you want to chat i have social media links on my profile or you can PM me here. :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Reuploaded due to a stupid repetitive typo. Thanks Der Alte!**

**So, can I just say I've now watched the Season finale of season 7. Garcia and Kevin are end-game. Strauss and Rossi (eluded to) NOT HAPPENING. Will/JJ N'AWWWW. Anyways, on with this story. My little story. 3 Don't like Beth for obvious reasons… THANKS by the way for the AMAZING support you've shown. PMing you all loveliness after I've uploaded this! **

**Oh and I have a question: Would you like the focus to be on Hotch/Reid or the case or both? Not sure whether to write the full case or pick it back up when it's over?**

**PS. The wedding has literally made me sob…**

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**_"Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death." - Omar N. Bradley._**

Spencer spent the whole plane journey looking over their case notes and committing them to memory. It was unusual for an UnSub to kill so many people in such a short space of time. The murders had taken place at PAX East, an annual gaming convention in Boston that brought in thousands of gamers young and old. That also meant that they could be dealing with a shooter of any age but looking at the victimology he would guess that the individual was a young man in his early 20's. Reid could tell that while he read everyone was "covertly" watching him, looking for any signs that he might be headed towards some kind of psychotic break. After he'd memorized the notes and was fed up of being stared at he decided to curl up on his seat, laying it back and settling down to sleep.

The team reached Boston at just after midnight and they set about getting rest before they began their investigation. Reid approached Hotch while they were checking into their hotel and gave him a look that Hotch knew meant trouble. "Hotch. Can Garcia, Emily and I go canvas the night life? I've always been fascinated by these conventions and we could look for anyone we think could match our preliminary profile." The youngest member of the team asked, wringing his hands together like he always did when he was nervous. His superior nodded reluctantly.  
"No drinking, you're on the job." Hotch called after the trio as they walked away, chattering excitedly. Aaron had promised to call Jack and read him a bedtime story. He hated being away from his son since Haley; he knew that Jack was with his auntie and was safe but it didn't stop him from worrying about him constantly.

Agent Hotchner set about making the bed up in the hotel room after he had read Jack a story (one that featured a superhero who always wore a suit and had a son that sounded suspiciously like his own; go figure.) After telling his son that he loved him he laid back on the bed, staring at the off-white ceiling. All of the higher-end hotels they usually frequented were booked due to the convention and some of it's more high profile celebrities. Prentiss, Garcia and Reid had left before a very embarassed young lady explained to the FBI agents that they would be required to share rooms for the night until they could relocate some of their tennants across town to their sister accomodation. Aaron had ended up paired with Reid because the remaining agents had paired up with one another like children on a High School field trip. He had secretly hoped he'd have a chance to stay within close proximity to his friend. During their abduction he'd learnt a lot about Agent Spencer Reid in the 3 days that they were held. The young man had done his equations and had worked out that their chances of survival were minimal. He'd bared all to Aaron hoping to seek some kind of penance for his sins in life. The older man was also wondering whether this was the way everything would end for him but he didn't tell Reid that.

Aaron had already accepted that the small loveseat in the corner would become his bed for the night. He knew that Reid wouldn't be very happy if he suggested that they shared the large King size bed that he was currently sprawled across so he forced himself to get up and find extra bed clothes, making the sofa his own bed. The clock struck 11pm and he walked into the small dimly lit bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. He returned to the large bed; deciding to rest there until Reid was back because it was much more comfortable. He shut his eyes briefly and was surprised when the unconsciousness pulled him under by force.

* * *

Spencer, Garcia and Prentiss had canvassed the local bars pretty uneventfully. None of the people at the bar matched the profile that they had put together. The agents were out until just past midnight, only returning because more than one "geeky chic", as Garcia had called them, had hit on Spencer and offered him a room for the night. The young man merely shrugged at the remark and had continued to sip at his diet Coke. He walked into "his" room after saying goodnight and was surprised to see his boss was currently asleep on the only bed in the room which was obviously big enough for two. He saw that the sofa resembled a make-shift bed in the dim light from the hallway. He looked from his boss to the sofa then shook his head; he'd made his decision. He brushed his teeth and then walked back into the room. He coaxed Hotch into lying beneath the cover on one side of the bed before crawling in beneath the sheets on the other side himself. He hated to admit it but in the few days he spent at home after the abduction he'd been unable to sleep, craving a protective pair of arms around him.

The Unit Chief woke at 2:57am. He checked his mobile to confirm there wasn't anything new in the case while they slept; there wasn't. Spencer was mumbling in his sleep and that was what had roused him from his slumber. Reid began to form more coherent words but he also struck out, thrashing around in the sheet until Hotch held him still, restraining him.  
"It's me, Reid. It's Aaron. Spencer." He whispered, gently pulling the man into a sitting position and then into his own embrace. He cradled Reid, trying not to think about the last time they were in the same position, less than a week prior. He ran his fingers through the man's long hair, soothing the fitful man who finally began snoring quietly once more. Aaron laid back down and went back to sleep, keeping his arms wrapped gently around the man he was laying with.

Spencer was woken by the sunlight peeking through the thin curtains that tried to dim the offending light. He rubbed his eyes to remove the sleep and turned over, startled when he saw that his Unit Chief; SSA Aaron Hotchner was holding him close to his muscular chest, arms protectively shielding him from the world outside their room. He laid still, contemplating what he wanted to do about the situation; deciding on laying closer to his partner, taking refuge in his arms.

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**Sorry if this feels filler-y. It's not. Promise. :D It's laying foundations. I'm also waiting for a few replies about whether you want me to explain the case or overlook it. ALSO. Do you guys fancy collabing at all? I want me some more friends. One's that like to write like me! :) Have a good day y'all.**


	4. Chapter 4

Comedian Marcus Brigstocke said "If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music."

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The young agent let a few more minutes pass, enjoying the feeling of safety that he got from being so close to his superior and friend. Eventually he got up from the bed, carefully untangling himself from the other man and opening the curtains slowly, taking in the scenery from their window. The city had been awake for hours already and people were as small as ants, bustling through the streets; all with their own destinations and individual stories. It was worrying to think that one of these people could be the very person they were looking for in connection to their murders. He jumped slightly when Aaron groaned quietly from behind him. Reid had been so caught up in staring at the city streets and skyline that he'd almost forgot he wasn't alone in the room.

"Spence please tell me it's too early and you just fancied looking out at the world. I really don't want to get up yet." He said, whining slightly too; again reminding the other man that their Unit Chief was a real person just like them and hated getting out of bed like most people did.  
"Sorry Chief, we've got a few people to interview at 10am and it's just gone 9. I'm going to go have a quick shower and then head down for breakfast. I still smell like bar." He said, shaking his head at the last statement he made.  
He hoped that the girls hadn't thought it was too weird that he had ignored all the women that had practically thrown themselves at him.

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"Nice of you to join us, Sir." Morgan teased from behind his coffee. Aaron's whole team were assembled with their case files littering the two oak tables that they had connected to make a larger one that resembled the one they had back in their conference room. He shook his head and sat opposite Reid in the seat they'd left for him. David Rossi nudged his ribs purposefully and smirked when he turned to see Rossi following his line of side across the table to the young man who was currently draining his 3rd sugar coffee of the morning from the cups that littered the table. The sight made him smile slightly before ignoring the oldest member of the team and standing to take control of the situation.

"Reid and I have interviews set up with our 2 key witnesses in 5 minutes at the police station across the street. Garcia I want you stationed with us and carry on dissecting the images from all of the cameras and try to give us a 3d image. Anything that can help us identify the shooter. The convention organisers are refusing to cancel the remaining two days and have said that the shootings were a press event for the latest violent game they're presenting. That means I need the rest of you to go to the convention and be our eyes and ears on the ground. I'll have SWAT teams stationed at the major entrances and exits, ready to lock the arena down the second we have a visual. Luckily the press release about the latest Call of Duty game means we can have our SWAT teams in place as convenient extra commercial value." After saying his piece he scanned his team who were all nodding in understanding and collecting their papers. He waited for them to all leave and walked with Garcia and Reid to the station.

"I'd be careful, sir, Reid has been quite the piece of stuff where these convention go-ers are concerned. You should have seen the amount of women that offered him a place to "stay" last night." Garcia rambled while they walked and Hotch gave an amused chuckle, watching as Spencer's cheeks slowly turned scarlet. He muttered something along the lines of "shut up Garcia" and continued the rest of the short walk in peace, walking straight to the interview room without saying anything else to either agent. Spencer waited for Hotch to catch up and watched the girl through the two-way mirror. She couldn't be any older than he was and she was currently sporting some kind of mining shirt with skinny jeans and sneakers; the epitome of "cool" gaming fan.  
"Sir, there was some truth in what Penelope was saying. I do seem to fit the stereotypical nerd category rather well. Maybe I should do this one alone and you can take the security guard in the next room."  
"Okay, but I want a full recount of the conversation when we are both done." He replied reluctantly.

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An hour passed and both Hotch and Reid had interrogated their witnesses and had learnt that their suspect was roughly 6"3 and had been waiting in line to get some items signed by some online stars when the event organisers said there want enough time to sign everything and that the man in question had been turned away and was very unhappy about it. _Could that be the trigger?_ Spencer thought to himself as he grabbed one of the station's disgusting coffees. _Would someone really shoot people because they had got to meet one of their idols and he hadn't?_ When he thought about people had definitely killed for less.

"Good work Spencer. Hang on, what's this?" Aaron asked when he rejoined the young man, noticing a piece of paper peeking out of his pocket.  
"It was that girl, Zelda. She said to call her or whatever." He shrugged, screwing the offending piece of paper up, throwing it into the nearby trashcan. "We need to let the others know we're looking for a white guy 6"3 at the guest panel waiting to get something signed. Chances are although he killed those people yesterday his first goal is still the same."  
"Good point, I think we'd be better waiting with Garcia and helping her to keep eyes on all the security cameras." Hotch said, calling the whole team on a conference call via speed dial. He'd loved that feature of the new phones that Garcia had insisted had to be written into the Unit's budget.

Spencer walked through the small precinct to the glorified cupboard that Garcia was currently sat in with all the monitors she had managed to scavenge from unknowing officers. He sat silently by Penelope and rested a hand on her arm. He knew that she liked video games and that this was her culture, her people that were currently under attack.  
"We'll get him, P. You know we will."  
"I know, it's just so hard. I'm never going to be able to play Tomb Raider ever again." She said, trying to push away the tears to no avail. "Kevin and I were meant to be there but we broke up. Last week. Well, we were never properly together but… Oh it doesn't matter."  
Reid watched her with kind eyes and decided to do something very uncharacteristic. He opened his arms to his colleague and embraced her in as much of a hug as they could have while sitting beside each other.

The leader of their team was stood in the doorway. He was going to just walk in but when he had heard their technical analyst in distress he decided to wait. He was surprised to see Spencer physically comforting his friend because even before the incident he'd never been physically friendly with any of his colleagues; they'd all noticed it. He smiled to himself despite the situation. It appeared that their youngest was finally getting used to physical contact and was feeling more comfortable with it. To most it would just look like Spencer was rude and kept to himself but Hotch knew that wasn't the case. The boy had been through more than he should have to and had had to grow up quickly, skipping the part with friends and functional relationships.

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**I'm back people. Thanks for the reviews and encouragement. I'm going to skim over the case but the character development and relationships among characters will grow through the case as they have in this chapter. This chapter feels differently constructed to the others to me. Let me know if this Chapter does to you and whether you liked it?**

**Next time: The killer surfaces again but can the team catch him before it's too late?**


	5. Chapter 5

"_To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."- J.K. Rowling_

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"Garcia; we have a hit on what looks like our guy, can you match the image now coming through with the one on the partial sighting from before the shooting?" Aaron asked his technical analyst having got the call about the suspect when he was halfway to the coffee shop across the road. He was going to grab Spencer a sugary beverage because he knew how much the youngest member hated cheap coffee blends. He hoped for Penelope's sake that this was the last of the shootings because it seemed to be taking a serious toll in her enthusiasm for her job.

"Sure boss. From what I can see here…" The woman paused as her computer lit up and estimated the height and weight of their suspect. "6"2 180lbs. That's our guy." She said confidently, trying not to look too hopeful.  
"That's our guy, move in." Hotch confirmed to his SWAT team, watching the monitors eagerly as they moved in on the young man, successfully pinning him to the ground. The head of the team gave the Behavioural Analyst Unit the affirmative gesture and everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

Their suspect; Austin James confessed to the murders within the following 24 hours. The story made the front of every magazine that Penelope was subscribed to and it made her sick to read about how a "troubled young man murdered those who had met his idol when he had been too late himself." She abruptly threw the 2 tech magazines and 1 gaming magazine into the trash. Kevin had even sent her some flowers and visited twice. She had been grateful for small mercies because Kevin had come to console her but had ended up talking about his new girlfriend "Grace". Garcia gave a defeated groan as she returned to work after her few days of requested holiday.

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Haley's parents had decided to take Jack to Florida for a few weeks to give Aaron time to "cool down" after their latest case. He suspected that her parents thought of him as a bad father because he had to leave Jack with their baby sitter when his cases ran late. He thought he'd try and spend time with Spencer. Since Gideon left the boy seemed to be getting less and less involved with the team and it was frankly quite worrying after the dilaudid incident. On his way over to Spencer's apartment he rehearsed what it was he was going to say; he didn't want it to sound like a pity party.

Spencer was surprised by a knock at the door, pushing his hair back from his eyes and then pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. "Coming, hang on." He shouted through to the front door. He was very surprised to see that his Unit Chief was stood there in his casual clothes. "Hotch, umm. Hi. My cell phone's on. You should have called if we had a case. I'll grab my gear."  
"No, it's not a case. Jack is with his grandparents and I thought we could hang out for a bit. You know have a conversation that doesn't involve work?"  
"Umm, sure. Yeah."  
"It's up to you." Hotch said finally, walking into Spencer's apartment after he nodded positively. He made himself at home after glancing around quickly. They had made it a rule not to profile one another but he was slightly curious. It was mostly as he'd imagined it; white walls with the occasional quirky ornament and trinket. One whole wall was covered with a large bookshelf where he kept all of his text books. He knew that the doctor had everything memorised so he assumed that they provided some kind of educational comfort for him. He also knew that Spencer had a hard time opening up to people so he planned to keep the conversation light and test the waters occasionally with deeper topics.

Reid's behaviour could have been misconstrued as social anxiety and strangely he hoped that Hotch would see it like that. Seeing the Unit Chief in his casual slacks and polo shirt made him dissociate the man from their workplace which was dangerous. He already found it hard to quell his palpitations whenever Hotch was around, this just made the situation more difficult for him to control. He walked into his sitting room and took a seat opposite Aaron in one of his comfortable chairs.

"This isn't like you Hotch. I thought that Rossi was your usual stop when you had down-time. I can't imagine why you'd want to come here." Spencer said finally once he had stilled his shaking hands. The dilaudid still made him shaky on the occasion but he feared it was merely the other mans presence this time.  
"I felt like coming over. Since our... Ordeal... we haven't really had time to speak properly. Then there was the hotel incident which I'm really sorry about by the way, I'm not usually clingy when I sleep; at least Haley used to say." The older man tailed off, realising that he was babbling nervously.  
"It's fine. I'd pretty much forgot about the ordeal and the 'incident', as you so mysteriously named it, is forgotten too. I mean I'm pretty sure I'm not objective with regards to gender so it doesn't bother me." The look on Hotchner's face said enough. He cursed himself internally. He'd all but admitted that he was bisexual to his boss. He knew it couldn't be used against him at work but he still didn't want to make his colleague uncomfortable.  
"Reid, I didn't realise. It's not a problem; before you look at me like that. I have plenty of friends who are homosexual and also undecided. Heck, i'm not entirely sure that i know for certain what i want now. I haven't known since Haley and i divorced." He explained, trying to calm the other man down, noticing the terrified look that crossed his features.

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Aaron had been so caught up in his own thoughts and feelings that he'd neglected to notice that the weather had taken a turn for the worst; rain falling deafeningly onto the large glass panes. A crack of lightning struck nearby and the clap of thunder shook the house, causing the younger man to jump uncharacteristically.  
"Spence. It's okay." He said, moving to sit on the arm of the chair that Spencer was in.  
"You know, you haven't called me Spencer before, let alone a nickname. Statistically nicknames show intimacy between individuals. I mean, i never have liked stupid storms. I know the science behind it and why it happens but i still can't get used to it."  
"You and Jack would be great friends. He hates thunder too." The man said, laughing quietly as he reached out to place a hand on Spencer's arm, trying to ignore the rapid change in topic. He wasn't sure why he had called him Spence, it just felt natural to him in the moment. Too many things were feeling natural around Spencer lately. It was fast becoming a regular occurrence.

It had been a long time since he'd had a nickname, especially one that was born from something other than hatred. He couldn't help but feel slightly calmer when his senior had rested his warm hand on his thin arm. He found it difficult to see why the girls in the bar had found him attractive. He was far too thin, with a small amount of muscle and not a hair on his chest. His Dad had said that he would only become a real man when he got the first hairs on his chest; alas, was he still not a man? Spencer could, however, see what people found attractive about Aaron. He was 13 years Spencer's senior and the man had aged handsomely. The signs of a hard life fighting criminals were evident in his face but this only seemed to make him look more rugged and manly. Their job also meant that he was in top physical form which was almost definitely the reason many women swooned at him.

"Earth to Reid? Kid, you zoned out."  
"Oh crap. Sorry." _Damn it. Don't look caught. How could i zone out like that? That's never happened before. Maybe i'm coming down with something?_ "I was just thinking that i haven't seen Jack in a long time is all. He seemed to like my displays of deceptive science."  
"You mean magic. And yes, he has been asking after you since Haley... Y'know."  
"That's perfectly understandable. Studies have shown that young children who lose a parent in a violent circumstance will often seek others for comfort soon after their parent is deceased. Sorry. That was insensitive."  
"I know what you mean and in your own way i know that you were trying to offer reassurance." Aaron said and shrugged off the other man's wording. He meant it when he said he wanted Reid and Jack to spend more time together. Jack was progressing intellectually at a faster rate than most children and he knew that Spencer would be able to sympathise most and offer advice. He also knew that Jack loved Spencer and had often called out for the "doctor" in his sleep when he was distressed.

"I'll grab you a drink. Is water okay?" Reid asked once he had managed to calm his nerves. He didn't want the next clap of thunder to cause him to drop their drinks; he had enough trouble with his own balance and clumsiness as it was.  
"Yeah. Water's good." The other man replied, sipping his water when Spencer gave him the glass and set his own on the table. He had been telling the truth about not knowing about his own gender preference. He was more focused on the person than their gender and he didn't really understand why it was such a big deal anyway. "That reminds me. I'm finally getting around to painting Jack's room while he's away and i was wondering whether you could give me a hand if you're not too busy? Before you try and tell me otherwise i know you are artistic. I saw the sketch you drew up of that girls abductor just before Christmas. If i didn't think i needed you focused one hundred percent on the cases i'd enlist you to help with the eye witness sketches too." He teased, enjoying how Spencer's face lit up shyly; it was clear that he thought that no-one had noticed his other many talents.

Reid considered the argument. He really did want to help paint Jack's bedroom; the kid deserved something to cheer him up after the last few years he had had. He also liked to spend time with the Unit Chief which in the long run may turn into a bad thing. He knew that he liked Hotch but spending time with him outside of the office may confirm his fears that he liked Hotch as slightly more than just a colleague and a friend.  
"Okay, i'll do it."

******************************************DWE***** *******************************

**Next Time: Aaron and Spencer go shopping for paint and Garcia has a go at playing matchmaker within the team. **

******************************************DWE***** *******************************

I'm back guys. Other commitments and a lot of sickness have hindered my writing habits. I plan on writing more of "Pieces In Their Place" now. Enjoy! :D

PS: I have restarted my gaming channel on YouTube too if y'all want to see then message me! :)

**Didn't y'all just love the last quote? Comedians are the best. :P **


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